The packing or crating of heavy, bulky articles, such as riding lawn mowers and the like, for storage and/or shipping has always been a difficult, time-consuming, costly and labor intensive operation. To provide the necessary stacking strength and protection for such articles, it has been and is customary to utilize a plurality of upwardly extending posts, normally of wood or similar material, and suitable inner packing or bracing members. Often in the past the operation involved custom building of the container or crate for each accommodated article; thus, requiring numerous components and skilled labor to assemble the components into the desired structure. Once the crated article was received by the customer or retailer, it was an awkward, difficult operation to uncrate the article, requiring a variety of tools and one possessed of considerable physical strength and dexterity.